“Are you sure you’re going to be okay, while I’m gone, Hatter?” Anika looks at Aylin as she stood nearby.

Aylin was bringing Anika’s bags down from upstairs. She had departed from wearing her normal suit and such to wearing slacks and a blouse.

“I’ll be fine, mom. Shade and I are going to help out at the soup kitchen down near the Alley. Afterward, we're going to host a Thanksgiving dinner for our friends and their guest.” Aylin wanted to spend this Thanksgiving with her friends and Shade, instead of going to her Uncle’s place or going with Anika’s to her boyfriend’s place.

Anika looks at the way Aylin was dressed. She couldn’t believe Aylin wasn’t dressed in her suit like she normally does. She was happy that Shade and their friends were making a big impact on Aylin. She was slowly changing and becoming saner.

“Alright, if any problems pop up and you need help. Call Terry and Dakota or Elizabeth for help.” Anika hears her cab honking outside her townhouse.

“I will mom. You have fun.” Aylin gives Anika a hug, before helping her with her luggage.

Aylin watches as her mother’s cab drives off. She shivers some as a light breeze blows by her. Once Anika was a couple of blocks away. Aylin heads back into the townhouse. She heads towards the kitchen to fix the dishes she volunteered to cook for the shelter.

She’s been taking cooking lessons, along with Shade at a community college. She tried some of her dishes out on Anika and some of her friends. Chef Brandis tried her cooking and said if she wanted to be a line cook, she could work for him.

Aylin starts on the vegetables and baked candied yams. She makes four trays of each to take to the shelter. While those are cooking, she preps the items she was going to serve to her friends for Thanksgiving dinner. Shade was going to come over later and bring the items he cooked for dinner. She checks the turkey and sugar-glazed ham.

Both were doing well. All she’ll have to do is reheat everything when she comes back from helping the soup kitchen. Her entire parkour group was coming over for dinner. Once everything was covered and ready to go. Aylin gets a box to put everything in, to make it easier to carry. She checks the watch she took off a crooked pickpocket for the time.

The prick had tried picking her pockets and almost succeeded, except she felt his hand leaving her right pocket. How he got as close as he did, she didn’t know, but she stabbed his hand with the knife she slipped into her left hand. When she took him down, she found all sorts of items he had stolen and a bloody knife.

She twisted the knife she had stabbed him several times to make him talk. He confessed to stabbing the guy who the watch had belonged too. It was a nice handcrafted watch and fit her wrist nicely.

She hears the doorbell ringing on her cellphone. She accesses the app to see who it was and spots Shade standing on the other side of the door. She unlocks the door “come on in, Shade.”

Shade hears Aylin’s voice come over the hidden speaker near the front door. Since the attack on the townhouse, by the Hunter’s. Anika upgraded the security of her townhouse. As of right now, the Hunter organization had asked for a truce. They lost two of their Mega-churches, thanks to Hatter and Shade blowing them sky-high.

They had managed to destroy the labs underneath, where they were cloning new human beings. The two churches had been where they were making new Hunter’s to replace what Jack and his people had taken out so far.

Shade walks into the kitchen and was surprised that Aylin wasn’t dressed in her Hatter outfit, but normal clothes. He liked how she was dress
“that suits you, beautiful.” As he places a kiss on her cheek.

“Thanks.” Aylin loved it when Shade praised her.

She had never thought about letting anyone get close to her or feeling like she does towards Shade. She never wanted to have the type of feelings she was experiencing with Shade.

“How did your parents take it, when you told them you worth coming home tonight for Thanksgiving?” Aylin met Shade’s parents.

Shade’s father was a garbage man and his mother worked for a department store. She made pretty good money.

“They didn’t mind. They said I was old enough to decide for myself, plus they are going to my Aunt Sarah’s house for Thanksgiving.”

“You don’t like your Aunt Sarah?” Aylin was curious about that.

“Let’s just say, I don’t agree with her politics and views.” Shade always had to bite his tongue whenever his aunt started saying how wonderful the moron president and the Republican party were. Also, how people who are gay and transgender are ruining society.

“Oh! One of those types of people.” Aylin knew what Shade meant.

“Yes, one of those people. Now, let's get the food for the soup kitchen out to the car.” Shade picks up the cardboard box filled with all the food Aylin cooked.

Aylin follows behind Shade and spots a black four-door car she hasn’t seen before. As she gets closer to the car, she notices the windows are all blacked out.

“Whose car is this, Shade?” As Aylin stops a few feet from it.

“My Uncle Spooner just brought it at a police auction. He said I could use it. That’s why there is a dealer tag on the back of it.” Shade carefully
puts the box on the back seat of the Town car.

Aylin walks behind the car and noticed there was a dealer tag on there. At first, she didn’t know how they were going to get the food to the shelter. She had her new driver's license, but it was strictly for her motorcycle.

Anika didn’t trust her to drive her favorite Jaguar. The one that they had brought back from England. She knew Shade had his driver's license, but he could never afford a car. He rode a motorcycle similar to hers instead.

“There, that should hold the box.” Shade walks around to the passenger side and opens the car door for Aylin.

Aylin smiles, as she climbs in and buckles herself in. She watches as Shade walks round the back of the car and gets in on the driver's side.

“Let’s get this food down to the soup kitchen.” Shade drives towards the soup kitchen.

Aylin just watches as Shade drives. It doesn’t take them long to arrive at the soup kitchen. It was near the Alley where they liked to hang out with their friends when they weren’t parkouring.

“Wow, look at the line in front of the soup kitchen.” Shade drives by slowly.

“I never knew there were so many.” Aylin saw children with their parents standing in line.

There were a lot of families and homeless people waiting to go inside. Aylin looks at the children and saw that a few of them could use new clothes, tennis shoes and jackets. She wonders why so many were homeless or dressed in shabby clothes.

Shade parks the town car and opens the back-passenger doors to retrieve the boxes of food. Aylin picks up the second box and shuts the door behind her. She follows Shade inside the soup kitchen, through the back door.

When the two of them walk in, it was a madhouse as everyone was busy getting everything set up to serve the public. Angela spots Aylin and Shade coming in through the back door.

“Oh, thank god you guys made it. We were worried that wouldn’t make it here.” Angela helps Aylin with her box.

“We would never disappoint you or the homeless.” Shade puts his box down and starts unloading it.

“I know, it’s about time too open.” Angela had glanced at the old fashion school clock up on the wall.

“Don’t worry, we’ll open on time.” Aylin grabs an apron and put her hair in a hair net.

Angela opens the doors to the soup kitchen, with Shade and Aylin ready to serve. Aylin served the potatoes and candied yams she made
cooked. She gives the kids a little extra as they pass her.

Aylin might be British, but she understood the holiday. She watches as people came through the line for their Thanksgiving meal. The children that Aylin saw and some of the women pulled on her heartstrings.

For the next three hours, she and Shade help the homeless. She spots a little girl that looked sad. She walks over to her and stands before her.

“Why are you so sad?”

Angel looks at the young girl with the white face standing before her. She wonders who she was and why her face is white.

“Because, my parents are sick, and no one will help them.” Angel knew her parents weren’t doing well.

Aylin looks back up towards the line and notices Shade was still serving. She looks back down towards the young girl.

“Why don’t you take me to them, and I’ll see if I can help them?”

Angel looks at Aylin “I don’t know you and my parents said I shouldn’t trust strangers.”

A playful smile appears on Aylin’s face “that is good advice. However, I give you my word that I will not harm you or your family.”

Angel was torn about taking a stranger back to where her parent's van was, but she was worried about her parents. She looks at Aylin “you promise, you won’t hurt me or my family?”

“Scout’s honor. I promise I will not hurt you or your family.” Aylin holds up her hand as a boy scout would.

“Okay.” Angel takes Aylin’s hand and takes her back to her parent’s van.

Aylin lets the little girl escort her. She knew the way that the young girl was taking her. She knew there was a large homeless population that
set up tents and such nearby.

“I’m Aylin by the way. What is your name?” Aylin looks at Angel.

“My name is Angel.” As she leads Aylin to a dirty brown van.

Angel opens the side door and inside the van were two people. The smell that came out of it, causes Aylin to make a face. She leans in to
examine the two people. They didn’t smell well and was rather pale. Aylin checks their pulse and could barely pick one up.

She pulls her cellphone out and calls the paramedics “911, what is your emergency?”

“Yes, I need for you to send an ambulance to the homeless camp over off 54th street. I have two people that need an emergency assistant.
They are in a brown van, New York license plate, HGHT452.”

“An Ambulance has been dispatched to your location.”

“Thank you.” Aylin ends the call.

She looks down at Angel “the paramedics are on their way. I know you don’t know me, but you can stay with me and my mother until they are feeling better.”

Aylin knew Angel would be placed in foster care and it would be hard for her family to get her back. Especially, since they didn’t have a permanent residence.

After a few minutes, Aylin and Angel could hear the ambulance coming towards their location. They stood near the van and waved the ambulance over to it. They watched as the paramedics enter the van and do what they can.

Back at The Soup Kitchen:
Shade had watched as Aylin went over to talk to a young brown-haired girl. He got distracted and when he looked again over at the location,
Aylin and the young girl were missing. He wonders where they went. He turns his station over to another volunteer and pulls his cellphone out
to locate Aylin’s.

He notices that she wasn’t too far from the soup kitchen. He knew the location she was at. He rushes out of the soup kitchen and starts running towards her location. As he gets closer, he spots an ambulance there. He couldn’t spot Aylin, because of all the people surrounding the van and watching. He checks his cellphone again and it said she was nearby.

He texts her to find out where she was.

Aylin’s cellphone beeps, letting her know she had a text. She looks at it and notices it was from Shade. She looks around for him and spots him standing way back away from the crowd that had formed. He was several feet behind the crowd.

“My partner is here. Let’s go and join him, Angel.”

“But my parents?” Angel looks up at Aylin.

“Don’t worry, we’ll go to the hospital they are being taken too and make arrangements for the hospital to contact me.” Aylin directs Angel towards Shade.

Shade spots Aylin walking towards him with the same young girl he spotted her with earlier. He stands and waits for them to get to him.

“Is everything okay?” He was concerned.

“Yes and no. We got to head to the hospital and see what is wrong with Angel’s parents.”

“Alright.” Shade looks at the young girl standing next to Aylin.

“Angel, this is Shade. He’s my boyfriend and partner. Shade, this is Angel. It is her parents, they are being taken to the hospital.”

“Okay, lets head back to the soup kitchen and head over there.” Shade escorts the girls back to the town car and head towards the hospital
Angel’s parents are being taken too.

St. Mary’s Hospital:
They spend an hour-n-half at the hospital. Doctor Fury informs Angel and Aylin that both her parents are seriously ill and if they hadn’t been brought to the hospital when they were, they might have died. As it is, they will have to spend several weeks at the hospital. Aylin gives the doctor her information and gets his name so she can inform her uncle.

She’ll make sure they are taken care of and any specialist they might need. She’ll ask her Uncle Jack to take care of them. While they are recovering in the hospital, she’ll look after, Angel.

“Come on Angel, you’re coming home with me until your parents are feeling better.” Aylin takes Angel’s hand and escorts her out of the hospital room.

Shade was waiting for them when they come out of the room. He had contacted their friends and informed them that they were on their way back to Aylin’s place. He looks at Angel and wonders what she was going to do while her parents are in the hospital.

Aylin spots Shade looking at her and Angel. She walks up to him “Angel is coming with us until her parents are back on their feet. I’ll contact my mother and let her know later.”

“Okay.”

Aylin’s Place:
Shade, Angel, and Aylin arrive back at Anika’s townhouse. Angel follows Shade and Aylin into the townhouse.

“Why don’t you get Angel ready and I’ll start heating everything up?” Shade looks at Aylin and Angel.

Angel looks at Aylin with a confused look on her face. She wonders what Shade was talking about.

Aylin noticed the confused look on Angel’s face “mine and Shade’s friends are coming over for Thanksgiving dinner, Angel.”

“Oh! Now Angel understood.”

Aylin doesn’t think she has anything that would fit Angel. She pulls her cellphone out and texts her friend Brandy to see if she had a dress that
would fit Angel. A few seconds later, she gets a reply saying she has some clothes that might fit Angel and she’ll bring them to the house.

Aylin takes Angel upstairs to the main bathroom and gives her a bath. While Angel is taking a bath, Aylin goes into her bedroom and changes her clothes. Anika had suggested she should look nice and non-threating.

Once Aylin had changed into the dress she and Anika had picked out. She goes to check on Angel. She notices Angel was still playing in the tub.

Shade was in the kitchen reheating the turkey and ham Aylin had cooked. He follows the directions she left, so the turkey didn’t become too dry. All the side dishes she made to go with dinner was easy to reheat.

“Thanks, mom.” Brandy exists from her parent’s car in front of Aylin’s house.

They were heading to her Aunt and Uncle Sondland’s place for Thanksgiving dinner. She had the clothes she promised Aylin that she would bring for the young girl. She walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell.

Aylin opens the front door when she hears the doorbell ring. A smile appears on her face when she notices it was Brandy. She had changed her hair coloring again to a simple electric neon blue coloring.

“Brandy, thank you for coming and helping me out.” Aylin steps aside to let Brandy in.

“What are friends for, Hatter?” Brandy gives Hatter a hug.

Brandy knew Hatter really trusted her to let her touch her. When they first met, Hatter didn’t let anyone touch her. Now, she only lets people she trusts, touch her.

“Where is this young girl you called me about?” Brandy walks into the townhouse.

Aylin closes the door behind her. She turns around to face her friend “she’s upstairs in the main bathroom. You can use my bedroom to help her get dress.”

“Nothing is going to explode in your bedroom if we enter it, is there?” Brandy knew how Hatter liked to leave little surprises.

“No, you're safe. Just don’t touch my throwing knives or my top hat in the middle of the room.” Aylin liked to throw playing cards into her top
hat.

“I’ll try not to trip over your top hat.” Brandy heads upstairs to Hatter’s bedroom and lay the clothes and some shoes out that that the theater had that might fit Angel’s feet.

Aylin watches as Brandy heads upstairs towards her bedroom. Just as she was about to go and see how Shade was doing in the kitchen, the doorbell rings again. Aylin turns around and looks through the peephole to see who it was. She notices it was her friend the twins, Clay and Tony.

Since she met them, they have been making a name for themselves among the hip hop and rapper crowd. They have been working hard to make a name for themselves among the group. It wasn’t easy for two white guys to be accepted, but they managed.

“What’s up, Aylin. We hope we're not late.”

“No, your right on time. Please come in.” Aylin steps aside to let the twins come in.

Just as they walked in, a taxi cab pulls up and an anime looking girl gets out of the cab. Clair pays her cab fare and runs up to hug Hatter.

“Hatter! It's so good to see you.”

Aylin returns the hug. Among her friends, Clair was the strangest and most unique. She was just as strange as Hatter herself. That was the reason they got along so well.

Aylin returns the hug. She liked her weird friend a lot.

“Come on in, Clair.”

Clair walks in and notices everyone from their parkour group was already there and enjoying some drinks. She notices Shade and he was bringing her a glass to her.

“One sparkling water like you like it, Clair.” Shade hands the glass to her.

“Thanks, Shade.” Clair accepts the glass.

“So, who did all the cooking?” Tony was curious as he helps Shade bring the food out of the kitchen.

“Believe it or not, Aylin did. Speaking of Hatter, where did she go?” Shade was looking for Aylin.

“She went upstairs.” Clay spotted Hatter heading upstairs.

Brandy was just putting the final touches of make-up on Angel when Aylin walks into her bedroom. Everything was just like she left it. She spots Brandy finishing putting make-up on Angel. Aylin looks at Angel's reflection in the mirror and notices it was just a little bit and enhanced some of her features.

“Are you ladies ready to join the fun downstairs?” Aylin had a smile on her face as she looked at Brandy and Angel.

“Angel is a little nervous about meeting our friends, Hatter.”

Angel looks at Aylin and wonders why Brandy called her Hatter. She has heard the name whispered around the homeless camp.

“Aylin, why does Brandy call you Hatter?” Angel wanted to know.

“Because I’m Mad Hatter Aylin.” Aylin was still smiling at Angel.

“You’re the Mad Hatter?” Angel couldn’t believe the teenage girl that is helping her, is the Mad Hatter.

“Guilty as charged.” Aylin sweeps her hand forward as she bowls to Angel.

Angel looks towards Brandy to confirm it. She couldn’t believe that Aylin was the Mad Hatter.

“The Hat should have been the giveaway.” Brandy walks over to Hatter’s hat stand and removes one of her top hats and puts it on Aylin.

Aylin didn’t like anyone touching her top hats. She watches Brandy as she handles her hat. She knew Brandy was only doing it to demonstrate her point on who she really was to Angel.

Angel looks at Aylin “you’re not going to hurt me, are you?”

Aylin walks over to Angel “didn’t I promise I wouldn’t?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Angel was still a little scared.

“Angel, if the Hatter makes you a promise. You can believe it. She never goes back on her word. That’s against her code.” Brandy knew if Aylin
threatens you and or promise you something, she will carry through with it.

Angel walks over to Aylin and takes her hand. So, far Aylin has been nothing but nice to her and her parents. She looks up at Aylin “I trust you.”

“That pleases me, Angel. Now let’s go meet the rest of my friends and have some dinner.” Aylin takes Angel downstairs with Brandy following behind her.

Aylin introduces Angel to everyone as they stop to talk with them. Brandy gets a small glass of cider for Angel to drink. Aylin liked watching her friends treat Angel as if she was their little sister.

When they sit down for dinner, Angel sits between Brandy and Aylin on the right-hand side of the table. Both women make sure she tries at least a little bit of everything. The rest of the group watches her and make small talk with Angel.

Aylin just looks at her friends and was thankful she had people she could trust and that were nice to her. She had those in England, but none of them were like the people here. These people liked her for her and not for what she could do for them.

As for Angel, she’ll make sure her parents get a fresh chance after they get out of the hospital. She’ll talk to her uncle to see if he could help.

After dinner, and after all the food and dirty dishes are put away. Aylin and her friends play games till late at night. Sometimes, by the time everyone calls it quit. Aylin finds Angel sound asleep in the den. Someone had put the afghan her mother kept on the love seat on Angel to cover her up.

Aylin carries Angel up to the spare bedroom and lay her down. She tucks her into bed “sleep tight, Angel.”

Aylin leaves the bedroom and head to her own, where Shade was already undressed and in her bed. She notices he was smiling when she comes in.

“Why are you smiling?” As she undresses.

“Because for someone who was raised in a mental hospital and is classified as crazy. You are going to make a pretty good mother, one day. “

“Maybe, I’m just looking after Angel till her parents get out of the hospital.” Aylin crawls into bed in the nude and snuggles close to Shade.